The Cass City Chronicle on Thu. Dec. 10, 1970 published the 1971 AAA Winter Sports Fun List. This reported that Iroquois Mountain Lodge had 8 runs, a double chair lift, 2 tows, and X-C skiing. References on the Internet place it on Lakeshore Dr. overlooking Whitefish Bay, near the start of the St. Mary’s River, just west of the city of Sault Ste. Marie. This appears to be the same location as that listed for the Lakeshore Ski Club. Perhaps the club operated the area at one time?
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The Lakeshore Ski Club did operate Iroquois Mountain for a few years before it closed in 1972, but the club’s original location, and the one I believe is probably indicated on the map, was near the northwest corner of Monocle Lake. Not sure of the time period at that location, but it might have been late ’40s, early ’50s.
Iroquois Mountain was originally called Mission Hill Ski Resort when it opened in 1958. It boasted an upscale lodge with big picture windows, custom carpeting, fine dining, full-service ski shop, two stone fireplaces and cafeteria lunches. Name was changed top Iroquois Mountain in the early ’60s. The hill was steep and challenging, with a vertical drop of just over 400 feet. The resort had an Austrian ski school from the beginning, headed by Hans Standteiner, until the lodge burned in December of 1963 or 64.
I spent the pre-xmas week of 1963 at a USSA Reg III race camp there. Today almost 50 years later (and skiing the entire time) I remember that I have never been colder than at Iroquois Mtn. Northern winds off Lake Superior. Temperatures before wind chill of -25f. And that was before we all had “warm up pants” BRRRR
I was at that camp! Hans Standteiner ran it, with help from Sepp Oberthaler. Of course, Iroquois was my home hill, just 1.2 miles down the road from where I grew up. So, I was very familiar with those north winds. BRRR is right! Iroquois was a good hill for a race camp — steep and lots of snow, plus uncrowded. Lots of good skiers came out of there, including Greg Schwartz, youngest ever to win the USSA national slalom title in the early ’60s, and Mike Porcarelli, who won several national titles as both a junior racer and in college and was on the Olympic team in the late ’60s. Excellent memories! Those camps were fun.
Hi Jon,
Wondering about the Livingston’s that either owned or operated the Lodge for sometime back when we were in school. Do you have info on them? Have tried to locate Carol, but can’t seem to find where she went. She was a good friend back in those days. Perhaps we can connect off line by E-mail if you would with any info. I remember when the hill was opened for snowmobile hill climbs, probably early to mid 70s. I rode to the lodge a few years ago, using the back trail. I think it was the route Junior Bertram used to get his bulldozer back to the top to work on the steep slope. Take care.
Hi Dave,
You’ve nudged my memory about Iroquois. The Lakeshore Ski Club operated the ski hill for a year or two after the lodge burned in the early 60s, then it was bought by Dr. Paul Sullivan and Ira Carpenter. They owned it until it closed in ’72.
Livingstons never owned or operated the resort. He may have worked there as a lift operator at one time, however. They owned Nodaway Point Restaurant just .7 mile west of the hill.
It’s been decades since I’ve known anything about Carol’s whereabouts. Sorry.
Jon,
Thanks for responding, hope you are well and life is good. Yes, I remember them at the restaurant. I think that may be the last place I had contact with Livingstons. I do remember the Sullivans as well, their daughter Pam was near my age. I know that Livingston’s were associated with the Ski Lodge is some capacity and if I remember it correctly, lived there in the late 60s. Anyway, good to hear from you. My memories of you were your great basketball skill and the really good team ole Brimley had when you played. Take care.
the last i heard and it was a couple years ago, carol was living down near alpena, mi thats all i heard.
I lived in Newberry and skied there often. The last time we went to ski there, it was just in time to watch the lodge collapse from the fire. Pretty sure that was in 64. Pretty depressing as that was a great place to ski. We had to settle for big valley and it’s 2rope tows. Bill Earle
I remember Mike Porcarelli. He used to ski directly under the lift. An amazing skier!!!!
I, too, remember Mike Porcarelli. He was the oldest of the Porcarelli kids. Amazingly quick slalom racer. He had twin sisters (I believe they were Patti and Terri) and a brother, Tony. All four were excellent ski racers. They would come down to Bryce’s Hill in St. Ignace to race us locals. They moved out to Wakefield in the 60’s to be closer to quality coaching and bigger hills. I believe they ultimately ended up in the Whitefish, Montana area.
I grew up a mile from Iroquois Mtn. Ski resort. My parents managed it it’s last year of operation, 1971-72. The website “Wheels of History” has a lot of photos of the ski lodge in its heyday. Jim Innerebner is the site admin. FYI.
My cousin was Gary Bergeron. He built the A-Frame house just West of where the Livingston’s restaurant was. He was married to Carol (Livingston), but he drowned in Lake Superior a long time ago.
i too have fond memories of skiing there i grew up in rudyard i remember learning to ski there webers sponsered it at xmass maybe in 1966 ? my dad would bring me out to the hill on sunday afternoons sometimes i went there with the Hudnuts there were ski patrolers it was big deal to go down the big front hill at the end i remember they had trailer for the lodge The lodge was turned into a group home ? I still ski and live in harbor springs
I skiied there for a number of seasons in the late sixties. Two days every weekend. We were from Soo Ont. Couldn’t afford to ski at Searchmont. Seasons pass was $35 ! Runs were numbered 1,2,3, and 4. They were steep and fun! When people say we had a blizzard, I always think of driving the south shore to Iroquois Mountain. Those were blizzards!
I have an old (late 1950’s) ski patch for Mission Hills. (Pre- Iroquois Mtn.)
I’ll try and post it on the FB page as I don’t see one here posted.
Interesting some of you mentioned the Porcarelli name. My father knew them and remembered the father was a barber and the Mike was a junior national champ in the day.
I, Norm Abbott and Mike Butt, of Sault Ontario entered competition at Iroquois Mtn in 1960 . I attended MTU, Sault Michigan Branch.
Michigan ski racers owed a lot to Greg Schwartz. A hard working, multi sport athlete and all A student who went on to the Air Force Academy, Greg won the Junior National Championship slalom at least twice and was a top 5 contender in the other events over multiple years even though he was a flatlander. Mike Porcarelli’s career was possible because he had the older Schwartz to train with early. When Greg moved to Cadillac in the 10th grade his weekly presence at races helped improve all of us. I owe some part of my two Colorado U letters to being able to chase Greg in those years. As the overall level of talent lifted a couple of younger kids emerged. Namely Tom Gratsch and Cary Adgate. Most racers I know think Cary was the greatest Michigan racer ever, although for his day Chuck Ferries of Houghton was also a top international competitor. But for Porcarelli, Gratsch and Adgate they should be grateful there was a Greg Schwartz
I agree, Greg was a fine skier and all-around great person. I remember how in awe I was when I first saw him ski at Iroquois Mountain. Smooth, fast, always in control. He was a good one to emulate. I, too, benefited from skiing and racing with him, but also with Porc and Gratsch.
Was this called Iroquois Point? Being a chairlift nut I found the center pole double was a Telecar built in 1959( yr I was born) just after the first chair at Nubs and Hidden Valley( Otsego club) built in 1958.
370 vertical of IP sound right?
http://www.skilifts.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=11169
Excellent Facebook page here!! Lots of pics and memories
https://m.facebook.com/groups/409221905839531/
It was called Mission Hill when it opened in 1958, and changed to Iroquois Mountain in the early ’60s. The 370 of vertical is a little less than some estimates, but is probably pretty close.